All the Little Houses

I am on the fence with this book. May Cobb is great at nailing the "unhinged" 80s East Texas atmosphere, and the pacing in this book is absolutely relentless. If you’re looking for a suburban noir that moves like a freight train, this is a great pick.
The tension is top-tier. The rivalry between the two families feels claustrophobic in the best way, and the "wholesome vs. dark" contrast kept me constantly second-guessing everyone's motives. It’s a very fast-paced read that manages to feel both glamorous and gritty at the same time.
Unfortunately, the ending really missed the mark for me. It felt incredibly abrupt—as if I turned the page expecting another chapter and realized I’d reached the acknowledgments instead. While I love a good twist, there were several significant loose ends and subplots that were left completely dangling. I’m all for a "jaw-dropper," but I left the story feeling like several major questions were left unanswered.

Overall, it's a fun, fast ride if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers, but go into it prepared for a conclusion that might leave you wanting a lot more closure than you get.

loved this! kept me on my toes the whole time

There weren’t any similarities to the Laura Ingalls books, and frankly, no redeeming characters. Sure, there was a spoiled rich blonde girl named Nellie. And a Bible thumping Pa, named Ethan. Who, it runs out, was really named Charles and grifted and scammed rich people. Oh, and he was closeted gay or bi-sexual. Nothing wrong with that, but he really turned wicked. The Laura character didn’t even have that name. She went by the name of Jane. And almost the sleaziest of all of the characters. Trailer trash, really. And Jane was not the real daughter of the Ma character. I forget her name, but Ma was screwing the town rich guy to build business, open up hers and Pa’s targeted clientele. I really hated the ending. It ended rather abruptly, and thought I’d missed something. This book was a gigantic thumbs down from me.